Three Canadians killed in Interstate 81 wreck in Schuylkill County

Tracy Jordan, Of The Morning Call

Three Canadians from Quebec traveling in rear seats of a van and not wearing seat belts were killed when the van launched down an embankment and 100 feet through the air after the driver fell asleep on Interstate 81 north in Schuylkill County early Saturday.

The accident happened about 2:15 a.m. near mile marker 118 in Butler Township, which is between the Route 901 exit to Mt. Carmel and Minersville and Highland Park Road exit to Gordon.

The driver, Jocelyn Caron, 52, and front-seat passenger, Paul leRoy Audy, 60, were wearing seat belts and survived the crash with broken limbs, according to state police in Frackville.

Caron's wife, Mamon Simard, 57, and Audy's wife, Danielle Joncas, 54, and their 17-year-old daughter were killed. They are all from Quebec.

State police said the van drove about 300 feet through a grassy strip along the west berm before hitting a dirt embankment separating the northbound and southbound lanes. The van catapulted off the interstate overpass into the air for 100 feet before landing on High Ridge Park Road, which runs under the interstate.

The two men who survived were flown to Geisinger Medical Center-Danville and admitted in stable condition, according to state police.